Politics

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has nearly $10 million in debt and not even half of that amount in their bank account, according to their latest filings in January. But Republican fundraisers think that changing attitude toward same-sex marriage in their party could lead to new money well their party has never tapped into before.

Several Republican fundraisers told Politico that thanks to Senator Rob Portman’s switch to supporting gay marriage, they now see a way to unlock big money in states like New York and Florida. California republican strategist Aaron McLear told Politico that “Republicans’ intolerance to marriage equality has been detrimental to winning.”

“Big donors understand that they don’t want to invest in campaigns focused on a losing issue,” McLear said. “I think certainly the fiscal issues for Republicans are much more marketable.”

American Unity PAC is a super political action committee aimed at helping Republicans who support more inclusive measures. Jeff Cook-McCormac, a senior adviser to American Unity PAC, believes his organization will be a game changer in 2014.

“As more and more true conservatives come out in support of the freedom to marry, it gives us a lot more opportunity to play a role and make a difference in races,” Cook-McCormac said.

Marriage equality still hangs in the balance. The Supreme Court starts their hearing on DOMA and Proposition 8 on Tuesday (March 26).